Blog

Every now and then, a piece of training technology crosses my path that really catches my attention. When it comes to training technologies, their utility essentially falls into one of two brackets—either by filling a unique gap, enabling me to capture training benefits otherwise challenging to accomplish, or through making my workflow more efficient.

Tsunami Bar has been an incredibly useful discovery that has helped add to my programming by checking off a few birds with one singular stone. For one, I can’t think of another implement that’s quite comparable (and that comparison is what you usually see in a typical training technology review). Secondly, by both delivering novel adaptations while checking a couple boxes at once, Tsunami Bar is capable of both delivering results and improving programming efficiency.

What IS Tsunami Bar Exactly?

Without making this an engineering article, the most layperson’s way to describe Tsunami Bar is that it’s a barbell implement that intentionally allows for a strategic degree of bend or pliability.

This element of the bar being able to bend to an extent means the more juice you put into it from an intent standpoint, the more each end bends in an oscillatory fashion. There’s some level of overlap in this department from the old Earthquake Bars—although the Tsunami Bar adds to the motor control component by delivering on additional adaptations not seen in Earthquake Bars.

One can think of Louie Simmons’ oscillating kinetic energy concepts to picture how this works in some ways. In other words, working with a load that has perturbation elements to it or “live energy,” as some would say. Most reading this should be familiar with a more lightly loaded version of this with aquabags.

In this case, there’s not only the perturbation element that adds a layer of instability (for motor control and more complete tissue recruitment purposes), but also an elastic element as you have to reverse the bar in the opposite direction—more on these benefits in the next section.

Video 1. The Tsunami bar in action.

The company makes different bars that can accommodate different loads as well as different pliability degrees, but the Speed Bar is the flagship bar and the one I personally integrate into my work with athletes.

The ease of implementation is awesome here as there’s no software needed or technological barriers of entry. The bar is also 100% compatible with all known brands of bumper plates, so there’s no need to purchase additional accessories in order to implement the bar. The bar has appropriate surface changes for added grip as well as smooth sections—just like you’d find in most barbells.

The company offers different bars with varying degrees of pliability—the less pliable the bar, the heavier the load it can accommodate. However, in my opinion (unless you’re training for powerlifting), I’d rather stay to either extreme. For my more heavily loaded strength work that requires more control—say one of my linemen performing a typical bench press—I prefer to use a traditional barbell. When it comes time to capture the adaptations I’m after with Tsunami Bar, I’d rather go all-in on the motor control, speed eccentric overload, and elastic qualities promoted by the Speed Bar. I can see a need for in-between options for some, but for my unique needs that would be more birds, less stones.

How Does It Work & How Is It a Helpful Training Integration?

Getting to it, I think understanding the how helps us better understand where Tsunami Bar fits into the grand scheme of things, programming-wise. As I mentioned before, it’s not hard to grasp that a live load with a more reactive element is going to have a higher likelihood of capturing motor control elements and tissue recruitment than a more stable one.

Please understand, this isn’t an either-or scenario but rather a both situation. I’m not proposing you trade out your traditional, controlled strength work with Tsunami Bar. Rather, consider integrating this to tie the recipe together a la garlic salt, similar to how some coaches like to do traditional strength work and Olympic lift/power variations.

Speaking of both, I find that the Tsunami Bar helps capture adaptations traditionally exclusive to more friction-driven, muscular work (slow, controlled, loaded resistance patterns) as well as more elastic, reactive athletic patterns.

I find that the Tsunami Bar helps capture adaptations traditionally exclusive to more friction-driven, muscular work… as well as more elastic, reactive athletic patterns, says @RewireHP. Share on X

Video 1. Tsunami Bar pulse squats: “move with the wave, make it elastic, keep it elastic.”

I’m a big fan of the “reversal strength” element, if you will. The bar bend phenomenon means if I actively push the bar up during—say, a bench press—the ends of the bar keep traveling upward. I then have to decelerate and reverse the load, actively pulling it back downwards into position.

The same goes for the downward phase of the movement. The load comes down with such speed that I have to actively decelerate and reroute it in the other direction back up.

Thus, it has the potential (depending on execution) to turn traditional lifts into dual-concentric phenomena. This is similar to real life sporting actions, in which an athlete intentionally yields into a movement and concentrically explodes out of it.

At risk of turning this into a biomechanics article, I’ll just say that a lot of traditional lifts involve concentrically pushing a load in one direction and eccentrically fighting it on the way “down” the opposite side of the propulsion arc (think Bill Hartmann and Dr. Pat Davidson’s propulsion arc concepts).

But this concentric/eccentric distinction factor means Tsunami Bar offers something more akin to the overcoming/yielding, expansion/compression qualities seen in sport.

Additionally, this is all happening at an appreciable velocity compared to the way most strength work is executed. In other words, that means athletes are benefitting from a higher speed eccentric overload (as opposed to slow maximal strength eccentric overload).

How Do I Personally Integrate Tsunami Bar Into My Workflow?

Tying this back to the ground floor, in-the-trenches, applied-side of things, Tsunami Bar fills a few gaps for me.

For one, I find that it helps capture both friction and elastic elements, as I mentioned before. This means that I can concurrently have my athletes benefit from traditional elements of loaded strength work while also capturing elements of timing, impulse, slinging weight in a more elastic capacity, reversal strength/concentric-eccentric changeover dynamics.

This has implications for potentially making some of our strength work have a more dynamic or ballistic element to it, which could in turn capture some athletic qualities that transfer to sport (and which are traditionally more or less absent from the weight room).

Both those elements and the reactive element of needing to control a live, perturbation-heavy load means there are not just athletic benefits, but also rehabilitation benefits. Some are not fully ready to take the car out on the track when it comes to sprinting, jumping, cutting, and beyond. The further down the road someone goes in the return to play pipeline, generally the more athletic patterns they can be exposed to.

Some are familiar with these ideas of initially integrating high-volume, low-impact extensive plyometrics eventually layering in more intensive plyometrics (low volume, higher impact). Depending on the sport and injury, integrating Tsunami Bar into one’s strength training can actually check a lot of boxes with regards to motor control, more complete tissue recruitment, and more in order to help prep them for some of the forces encountered in sport.

That element and the full bucket of adaptations it helps capture means it’s a useful durability and rehabilitation tool in many return-to-play scenarios.

As far as specific resistance patterns I enjoy performing with the bar, I’ve found the most ROI comes from the Tsunami bench press (useful push/pull element), jammer press variations (ton of motor control and recruitment value add here), jammer row variations (for the same purpose), and lightly-loaded oscillatory squat variations.

Although you can certainly load the bar up higher than this, I generally don’t go higher than about 50-75% of what someone’s stable barbell max output would be. For a more specific frame of reference, I find myself using as little as a 25 or 45 on each side most often, occasionally doubling up with both or more for something like a jammer press if an athlete is strong enough.

Like a mechanical bull, the bar can be a lot for novice athletes—so, truth be told, it’s probably best suited for those who have something closer to an intermediate training age with foundational movement literacy and some weight room experience in place. That said, you can certainly set them up for success and introduce Tsunami Bar sooner if you:

• Choose the right patterns.
• Don’t overload the bar.
• Cue athletes to go at something closer to half speed initially.

The bar is lighter by design, so you’ll generally want to load the weight on the ground or with a partner to avoid the bar flipping to the side.

The Tsunami Bar is lighter by design, so you’ll generally want to load the weight on the ground or with a partner to avoid the bar flipping to the side, says @RewireHP. Share on X

This is more anecdotal than anything, but it’s worth mentioning that training with Tsunami Bar is also fun and engaging for athletes. It’s healthy for clients to crave novelty, and we as coaches are sometimes tasked with trying to check the same boxes as we integrate enough “newness” into programming, without getting too far off the reservation into novelty for novelty’s sake.

I slot Tsunami Bar in during rehabilitation phases and to occasionally switch things up for durability. Although it checks a lot of boxes, I would say its overall value is in adding more sports-like dynamism to the weight room. It’s not going to replace your agility work and plyometrics (nor would the creators want you to throw those things out)—nor is it going to replace most of your free weight work. However, I can certainly see it taking over the strength-speed side of the weight room traditionally reserved for Olympic Lift variations and traditional patterns.

We as coaches are sometimes tasked with trying to check the same boxes as we integrate enough “newness” into programming, without getting too far off the reservation into novelty for novelty’s sake, says @RewireHP. Share on X

Customer Experience

Speaking of the creators, I cannot say enough good things about the Tsunami Bar team. I think I can speak for all of us coaches when I say the tech companies that come in and try to disrupt fitness or performance generally miss their mark. For most of us, it’s not about being unwilling to embrace innovation so much as it is about the proposed innovations adding complexity while not adding enough R.O.I. to justify said complexity.

With Tsunami Bar, you not only don’t have to worry about that—you can be confident the tech was designed by coaches for coaches, as their team is made up of a diverse group of engineers, researchers, applied physicists, and coaches who are still in the trenches to this day. They are also an education-first company whose concepts involve the entirety of the training process—not just their own products in a salesy capacity. They not only conduct seminars and host ever-growing online educational content, they’re also quite accessible should you ever have any questions on the programming side of things. A+ and class acts in this department, for sure.

With Tsunami Bar, I can be confident I’m giving athletes something they enjoy while also adding something in that’s helping me accomplish everything I need to do on the back end. Training with the implement is such a unique felt sensory experience that at the very least I recommend coaches go try the bar and see what it’s like for themselves. You just might find it helps fill in some gaps in training and deliver some useful adaptations in your athletes.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

If you’re familiar with the collegiate softball schedule, you know it’s a year that spans an off-season from September to January, then ramps up from February to May with intense practices, games, and travel. The off-season prioritizes General Preparatory Phase training to boost the athletes’ size, speed, and strength. As February approaches and schedules fill with practices and double-headers, maintaining a strategic programming structure becomes essential, despite challenges like missed lifts due to travel.

Having grown up in the world of baseball, a few truths about ballplayers always stand out:

1. Both baseball and softball are governed by routines, and disrupting a player’s routine can significantly impact their mental focus.
2. The period before the first pitch involves a lengthy, deliberate warm-up process.

Trying to influence the entire warm-up process as a strength coach has the potential to enhance the athlete performance on the field, elevate the status and integration of strength coaches within the team structure, and garner recognition from players and sport coaches alike. I’ve observed that during their daily warm-ups, athletes often perform their movements mechanically. The intentionality behind their warm-up routines diminishes over time because these routines have remained repetitive and basic since childhood.

Reflecting on my own experience in baseball, I recall doing the same dynamic warm-up from the age of 5 until I was 15. The routine never evolved and became more of a tradition, causing my teammates and me to simply go through the motions. In athletics, we understand that without intention, we rarely see any progress or improvement. Moreover, the impact of intent facilitates athletes’ ongoing development, even on game days.

Video 1. Overall Activation warm-up showcasing TRX Y-Rows with an external rotation, Waterbag Alternating Switches, ½ Kneeling Banded Rows. Note how the warm-up is directly on the field, so athletes can transition into individual warm-ups.

A Standard Game Day Warm-Up

Typically, teams arrive at the field three hours before the scheduled first pitch to set up. During this time, players will pull the tarps off the field, set up the mound and infield area, and prepare the field for batting practice. Following this, there’s a rather routine and basic “dynamic warm-up” session aimed at loosening up. This phase tends to be leisurely and lacks urgency. Once warmed up, the team moves on to batting practice, typically lasting about 30 minutes. Subsequently, the opposing team takes their turn at batting practice, which also spans approximately 30 minutes. During this interval, players often engage in lighthearted banter, enjoy snacks, and relax.

As the game approaches, usually 45 to 60 minutes before the first pitch, teams’ transition to throwing, arm care routines, and infield/outfield drills—essential components of the baseball/softball warm-up routine. While some teams may have variations in their routines, this general structure is one I’ve consistently observed over time. While I don’t criticize these routines, based on my experience in the sport, I often felt my body wasn’t fully prepared for the game due to the leisurely warm-up period. As previously mentioned, when my teammates and I went through our dynamic warm-up, it often lacked intentionality. There was little intensity, and I didn’t feel my muscles were properly activated. We didn’t incorporate much tendon or muscle loading before games because it wasn’t customary to do so. This became problematic for me, as I often didn’t feel in sync with the game until after the first pitch, sometimes not until after my first at-bat. Now, as a strength coach in collegiate athletics, I strive to enhance game day routines even more.

For me, the solution was straightforward: Game Day becomes the prime opportunity to continue impacting our athletes’ development and ensuring they’re fully prepared for the challenge ahead—seven innings of competitive softball! This experience turned out to be the most gratifying period of my career as a strength coach. Being directly involved in game day preparations and collaborating closely with our exceptional softball coaching staff at Simon Fraser University, who truly integrated me into the team as a whole. Typically, as a strength coach, you’re part of the support staff for teams and may not always feel fully involved in the team dynamics. However, everything changes when you step into the athletes’ environment and witness the excitement they have on game day.

Game Day becomes the prime opportunity to continue impacting our athletes' development and ensuring they're fully prepared for the challenge ahead—seven innings of competitive softball!, says Timothy Rattan. Share on X

So, how did we manage game day preparations? Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of our pre-game routines, covering both the day before and the hours leading up to the first pitch.

Pre-Game Lift: Day Before Game

The day before a game follows a standard procedure where the team works within the strength coach’s environment. During these sessions, lifts serve the purpose of enhancing potentiation. We utilize various Olympic lifts, jump variations, and movements that generate high impulse—applied force that changes rapidly over time. The primary objective is to activate the athletes’ nervous systems without inducing complete fatigue before game day. Our focus isn’t on chasing muscle fatigue or achieving significant strength and hypertrophy gains during these sessions.

Breakdown of Power/Potentiation Day

• Movement Prep (5-10 mins)
  • Include rotator cuff work, grip strengthening exercises, ankle yielding isometrics (20-60 second duration), hip mobility and stability exercises
• Neuro Prep (5-10 mins)
  • High CNS Movements – Which can include Medicine Ball throws, Sprints, Low Level Extensive Plyometrics (pogo jumps, jumping rope, reactive single leg jumps)
• Primary Lift (25-35 mins)
  • Olympics lifts & Variations – Generally High Pulls, Hang Power Cleans, Trap Bar Shrugs, Trap Bar Cleans
  • Jump Variations – Intensive focus. Includes Broad Jumps, Box Jumps, Approach Hurdle Jumps
  • High Impulse Movements –Iincludes kettlebell swings, kettlebell passes, medicine ball throws, waterbag swings
  • Loaded Resistance Movements – During these movements the goal is to have load applied to the oblique and the contralateral oblique sling. We use loaded cable swings from a high angle to mimic a swing, minimize explosiveness on this exercise. The major high speed rotational movement will derive from medicine ball throws or waterbag swings.

When I tell the student-athletes “today is our power day,” they understand it’s about moving weights swiftly and energetically. This session also serves as our final opportunity of the week to expose them to high-speed activities, incorporating controlled volumes of sprints. The pre-game lifts inject positive energy and ensure the team is primed for the upcoming day.

Game Day Activation: Athlete & Coaching Buy-In

The first step to ensuring smooth game day activation was to align myself and the coaching staff. Luckily, the SFU Red Leafs’ softball coaching staff were receptive to collaborative ideas, and throughout the season, we worked seamlessly together. Kudos to the coaching staff for their openness to making adjustments to enhance our performance on the field. In discussions with the head coach, Stacy Fournier, we reviewed the entire game day routine leading up to the first pitch. I identified two key areas where we could make a difference:

1. The initial warm-up before batting practice.
2. The 30-minute gap while the opposing team takes batting practice.

These were critical moments where maintaining optimal nervous system activation and readiness were essential.

The next step involved discussions with the team captains. Understanding the importance of superstitions among softball players, my goal was to reassure the team that we were not making drastic changes, but rather adjustments to enhance their preparation. Once this was clarified, we moved on to implementing the new routine leading up to first pitch, detailed in Figure 1 below.

Understanding the importance of superstitions among softball players, my goal was to reassure the team that we were not making drastic changes, but rather adjustments to enhance their preparation, says Timothy Rattan. Share on X

Game Day Activation: Pitchers vs Position Players

Initially, we divided into two groups: Pitchers and Fielders. It was crucial to maintain a different pace for pitchers to preserve their flow and mental focus. During our team’s batting practice, we focused on activation exercises tailored for pitchers. This included dynamic movements to enhance hip stability and mobility, activation drills for the arm and rotator cuff, impulse exercises to improve hip rotation and projection (simulating pitching, and short-distance (10-yard) sprints to simulate the impact on the landing leg while on the mound.

Video 2. Showcasing the major movement patterns we cover during pitcher activation. Using Cossack squats and tripod around-the-worlds to activate and stretch out both the obliques and hip complex. Waterbag drill will be the primary focus for starting pitchers of the day to simulate throwing a pitch.

With pitchers, I made minimal adjustments, while for position players, we adjusted their routine more extensively. Referring to Figure 1, we conducted two separate warm-ups. We kept the team’s usual dynamic warm-up intact to respect their established approach. After their dynamic warm-up and a series of waterfall sprints (requested by the captains), we proceeded to “Activation 1” before batting practice.

Here, the focus was on preparing for hitting by engaging the obliques, hip complex, and enhancing rotational flexibility. This phase included dynamic stabilization exercises with water bags, an overcoming isometric component, and ballistic movements using light bands. After targeting all key areas for swinging, the team smoothly transitioned into batting practice.

Video 3. Before batting practice, it’s a chance to warm up the obliques and emphasize rotational activation. Specifically, we incorporate both a waterbag swing (top video) and a variation of the Pallof press (bottom video) to simulate the movements used during a swing.

After batting practice, I aimed to improve the 30-minute downtime in our pre-game routine. Instead of idle time, we introduced a 15-minute activation session that differed from the traditional “arm care” routine typically seen. A typical arm care regimen includes performing rotator cuff exercises with various resistance bands. These exercises focus on both external and internal rotation movements. Such routines are often rooted in tradition, which isn’t necessarily problematic. However, they can become repetitive over time, lacking the necessary progression required for adaptation to occur.

During this period, athletes had more autonomy in the total amount of volume they completed prior to first pitch. This activation included impulse variations, tissue strengthening exercises, and dynamic movements, focusing on activating the posterior chain and shoulder girdle as shown in sample videos.

Breakdown of Activation 2

• Med Ball – Para – ½ Kneel Press or vertical toss
• TRX Y-Row
• Waterbag Rotational Swing
• Waterbag Alternating Switch
• ½ Kneel Band Row

Following this brief session, the team still had time for personal arm care routines and relaxation before transitioning to throwing and team warm-ups on the field.

Video 4. After Batting Practice has been completed, the team then transitions to the field for activation 2. The video above showcases 3 different exercises, TRX Y-Row to External rotation, ½ Kneel Banded Rows (bottom video) & Waterbag Alternating Switch (Top Video).

Being Part of the Team

In athletics and sports, game day stands out as the pinnacle that excites players, coaches, staff, and fans alike. It’s a day when everyone unites to strive for victory as a team. Establishing a robust game day routine that preserves athletes’ nervous system integrity before the first pitch is crucial.

Game day stands out as the pinnacle that excites players, coaches, staff, and fans alike... Establishing a robust game day routine that preserves athletes' nervous system integrity before the first pitch is crucial. Share on X

Unlike the conventional approach—where softball players warmed up and then waited around for up to 1.5 hours—we segmented activations to minimize downtime and significantly enhance athlete development on game days. Returning to the diamond to influence the game in fresh ways has been among the most rewarding experiences in my young career as a strength coach. Even though traditional softball warm-ups were firmly established, players found this new approach to be invigorating and revitalizing for game day operations. According to player feedback, they felt more prepared as the first pitch approached, which was the primary objective behind these adjustments.

For those interested in adopting a similar strategy and avoiding the monotony of being solely a “weight room person,” I highly recommend immersing yourself in the athletes’ environment, collaborating closely with coaching staff and players, and injecting new energy into athlete development work.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

References

Dechant, Z. (2018). Movement over Maxes: Developing the Foundation for Baseball Performance. Independently Published.

Schlesinger, C. (2023). Micro-Dosing Performance. Lecture.

Care, T. (2024). Holistic Performance Management Concurrent Model. Lecture-NSCA.

Rattan, T (2023). Creating a Plan for In-Season Softball Training.

SimpliFaster and Rude Rock Strength are excited to launch a new educational series that will feature specific athlete return to play (RTP) case studies. These modules will also cover our recent implementation of Hawkin Dynamics force plates into our RTP model and how this has influenced our programming and decision making. This series will run throughout the remainder of 2024 and cover a variety of specific injuries, athletes, and levels of sport.

If you missed our preliminary article, be sure to check out “The Philosophy, Art, and Science of Return to Play for S&C,” which covers the general framework and protocols for these modules to follow. This article will serve as a brief introduction to the full educational video module found below—we hope you enjoy and find value in this series.

Video 1. Module 1 Case Study: “High Ankle Sprain for Football.”

Athlete Background

This case study analyzes a current Division 1 football player (edge/defensive end) who suffered a high ankle sprain while tackling an opposing player in November 2023. The athlete subsequently had surgery in January 2024, in which a TightRope procedure was performed. The athlete followed standard rehabilitative procedures in accordance with his university for early phase rehabilitation. The initial intake and evaluation for this athlete occurred in mid-January 2024. This training intervention began two days after the athlete was permitted to be out of their boot. Thus, the athlete presented with significant pain, edema, and lack of function at the start of our intervention.

Injury Overview

Ankle sprains represent one of the most common soft tissue injuries across all sports. Although high ankle sprains are not typically a devastating injury, they can be very difficult to fully recover from due to the mechanical demands of the foot-ankle complex. High ankle sprains can occur in a number of ways, but most often are a result of the foot being forcefully externally rotated while in a fixed or flexed position with concurrent tibial internal rotation. This results in damage primarily to the ligaments that support and attach the fibula to the tibia which include the posterior and inferior tibiofibular ligaments.

Additionally, high ankle sprains typically involve damage to the interosseous membrane, and in severe cases, can include damage to the peroneal muscles or tendons. The interosseous membrane is the connective tissue that is suspended between the fibular and tibial bones. The primary joint actions that are compromised from a high ankle sprain are tibial internal-external rotation, ankle plantarflexion, foot inversion-eversion, and foot supination-pronation. Considering the mechanics of the foot-ankle-lower leg complex, we also want to remain mindful of the stress that higher velocity and dynamic movements place on the injury site.

The consequential outcomes from a high ankle sprain can be abundant and wide reaching. Depending on the severity (grade) and whether surgery was required, these injuries can have a lengthy healing time. On average, athletes can expect a return to play timeline of about 6-12 weeks, but in most cases can be fully restored without any significant lingering or long-term effects. In more severe cases, surgical interventions may be warranted. In recent years, a new surgical procedure known as the “TightRope” procedure has become more commonly utilized and has seemingly shown promise in its effectiveness to promote long term stability and function of the ankle joint.

The consequential outcomes from a high ankle sprain can be abundant and wide reaching. Depending on the severity (grade) and whether surgery was required, these injuries can have a lengthy healing time, says @danny_ruderock. Share on X

Testing Overview

Both subjective and objective testing procedures are included in this RTP model. We utilize a combination of athlete intake (history/background), soft tissue assessment, and force plate testing for athlete evaluation and testing. The intake and histories give us the context of the individual—who they are as a human more so than who they are as an athlete. Histories provide a lot of information, but predominantly help to set firm boundaries, and understand what has and hasn’t worked for them to this point.

The two primary objective components we utilize include the soft tissue evaluation and force plate testing. The soft tissue component can be conducted in a number of ways and will largely be governed by your scope of practice. But even S&C coaches with no manual therapy background can get indirect evaluations of soft tissue function. This can be as simple as using passive range of motion (ROM) and global mobility assessments to evaluate soft tissue extensibility and sensorimotor acuity. The force plate testing provides us with the most concrete and determining point of evaluation that essentially confirms or validates our programming along the way. The force plate testing will be primarily influential for central training parameters like intensity, volume, and density. We also utilize force plate diagnostics to help determine more nuanced parameters such as tempo applications, load placement, and resistance type.

The force plate testing provides us with the most concrete and determining point of evaluation that essentially confirms or validates our programming along the way, says @danny_ruderock. Share on X

We utilize a general testing battery for data collection that includes the drop landing, countermovement jump (CMJ), and multi-rebound jump test. The specific metrics of interest (i.e., jump height, braking RFD, or peak propulsive impulse) can be variable depending on the athlete and context of their situation. For this athlete we emphasized jump height, countermovement depth, peak/average propulsive force, peak/average braking forces, and time to stabilize. As with any injury case, we also had particular interest in unilateral discrepancies across all primary measures.

This approach allows us to develop a triangulated understanding of who the athlete is, how the injury is affecting the soft tissue, and how their initial force profiles look. Collectively, across these pillars we can generate our performance KPI’s (shown below). Just as how the specific testing procedures and measures of interest are variable based on the athlete and context, the KPI’s are similar. A few of the primary factors for establishing KPI’s include what phase or point they are in the RTP process, what part of the sport calendar they are in, and what the expectations/demands are for that athlete.

Training Overview

This case study was conducted over a six-week training intervention that included two 90-minute sessions per week. These sessions utilized a tandem approach of soft tissue therapy (restorative) and strength training applications. As we progress through the RTP phases, more emphasis is placed on the strength training and less on the soft tissue therapy side. The soft tissue restoration provides a supportive role to help manage tissue degradation, the strength training is where central adaptations are made. Importantly, this was performed concurrently to the standard protocols and treatment applied through the university. Although minimal information of what was being done outside of our facility was available, we know that he was doing something at the university at least 40-75 minutes per day.

Outcomes and Observations

Across the six-week training intervention we saw consistent pre-post progress across all primary measures. This included a significant reduction in pain, reduced inflammation, and increased functional ranges of motion in early phases of training. Continuing on, this was followed by improvements on all key force plate metrics (Peak Propulsive Force, Braking RFD, and Time to Stabilize). This was the case for each of the three jumps utilized in our protocol (drop landing, CMJ, multi-rebound). As mentioned above, our intervention was provided as an adjunct to what was being done concurrently at his university.

consequently, we cannot say that what we provided was exclusively or entirely the reason for this athlete’s progress. However, we do believe that our impact was demonstrated through the diagnostics and adamantly confirmed by the athlete. The primary subjective takeaway the athlete provided was in the middle of Phase 2, where we started approaching heavier intensities. He said being able “to handle high loads on split squats was the biggest confidence boost” he’d had since his surgery.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

Kylah Broadnax is a dedicated and dynamic professional with a rich background in athletics and fitness. A former collegiate volleyball player at Midwestern State University, Ky’s passion for sports and fitness led her to transition into personal training (beginning in 2019) and coaching club volleyball (2017-2023).

She earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2021, which provided a strong foundation for a career in sports training and coaching. Upon graduation, Ky joined Elite Speed & Sports Training (ESST), initially as a head strength coach. Demonstrating exceptional leadership and operational skills, Ky was soon promoted to head of operations, a role she excelled in until 2023.

Currently, Ky brings her expertise to Rude Rock Strength & Conditioning as the Head Coach of their flagship Fascial Fitness program. In addition to this role, Ky recently joined TeamBuildr in the customer support department, leveraging her extensive knowledge to assist and guide users.

Training athletes often comes with its own set of constraints. Things like time, equipment, and space are often constraints to a coach, but they can also be opportunities if they are viewed that way. Time is our biggest asset and often a constraint in the college setting as athletes have other demands that pull on their time. Classes, technical practices, study halls, group meetings, and training are just some things that are asked of them daily. It’s important to take note of how much time a coach has with a group and how much time they can allocate to the segments of training that are planned on a particular day.

The size of a facility and the amount of both accessible equipment and space are vital to consider when designing a training program. I am the Associate Athletic Director of Athletic Performance at Quinnipiac University and have been here for 17 years. I train Men’s and Women’s Hockey and Basketball programs in a 2,200-square-foot facility located in our dual hockey and basketball arena.

Our room is uniquely shaped and not the common square or rectangle as most weight rooms are—the room is, instead, shaped like an oval and creates unique challenges for organization and a floor plan. Over time, we have developed a well-thought-out floor plan that allows athletes to train effectively and efficiently.

I have also been fortunate to have had access to a unique piece of equipment that I believe is a game-changer for any coach, therapist, or trainer who works with human beings. I have seen this technology reduce athletes’ pain, improve their mobility, improve their power outputs, improve their speed, improve their movement patterns, and help them feel more confident in their movement capabilities.

I have been fortunate to have had access to a unique piece of equipment that I believe is a game-changer for any coach, therapist, or trainer who works with human beings, says @bpatel515. Share on X

The OHM Run is an isokinetic, accommodating resistance machine used to enhance a person’s ability to move more efficiently. Much of my training philosophy is grounded in a movement-based approach to physical preparation and I have not found something that can positively impact a human being’s ability to move more efficiently than the OHM Run.

Fascia

I do not want to go into a full-blown article about the fascial system, how it impacts movement, and how the OHM directly impacts fascia…but I will touch on some key points.

I have an extensive presentation that I have put together about understanding fascia and how we can effectively impact it, which is available for purchase here.

Our role as coaches is to enhance movement, and we use exercise to enhance movement.

Optimal movement requires one’s ability to get into optimal positions to produce and reduce force. Oftentimes, our movement can be restricted and impair our ability to efficiently get into these positions or postures. Our fascial system can be an obstacle to the positions and postures that we desire in our quest for enhancing movement.

Optimal force reduction and production is dependent upon the ability to get into the most biomechanically advantageous positions. Everything that we do in a training environment is used to ultimately enhance an athlete’s ability to move efficiently.

Everything that we do in a training environment is used to ultimately enhance an athlete’s ability to move efficiently, says @bpatel515. Share on X

The OHM’s isokinetic technology impacts fascia as each movement is done at a slow velocity (typically 0.5-1 mph), and increases the time under traction as an individual’s muscles are lengthening and contracting through a full range of motion. The result is similar to if someone was doing fascial manipulation to you, but the individual is moving naturally and working on improving the slide and glide that occurs with muscles against fascia on their own. This actively involves the athlete’s nervous system and improves their ability to feel their movements.

Video 1. This clip shows a common movement that we perform on the OHM to help open up an athlete’s mid-thoracic spine, which allows the tissue to stretch while the force being created is occurring through the feet and transferred through the posterior back line. 

The accommodating resistance of the technique allows an athlete to produce maximal amounts of force at a slow velocity, as if a clinician was increasing the magnitude of force during fascial manipulation work. This allows an individual to go beyond the breaking point where fascia would normally not let one go (if there’s a restriction). The tech facilitates a better glide between the deep fascial layer and muscle tissue.

The beauty of this that it is all done by the individual themselves. They learn their movements, they feel their movements, and they are working through their own restrictions.

Implementing OHM Run in a Team Setting

Utilizing the OHM in a team setting is a challenge, since we only have one in our facility. I have typically included it into training on an individual basis and with athletes who wanted to do extra work in small groups or on their own.

This past summer, I wanted to integrate the “warm-up” and “speed/movement” parts of our training session and planned to take advantage of the OHM because I had a feeling that it would help prepare our athletes’ fascial, joint, muscular, and nervous systems for the session ahead.

I had a small group of athletes that I could trial this integrated warm-up with to see how it would work logistically.  Before I explain how this worked, I want to share how we have typically organized sessions.

1. 1. Get Prepared – Soft tissue, RPR, fascial stretches.

 

1. 1. Get Right – Ground-based core work.

 

1. 1. Get Hot & Get Loose – Continuous, dynamic warm-ups.

 

1. 1. Get Ready – Movement prep (linear or lateral)/mechanics.

 

1. 1. Get Better – Sprints, plyometrics, strength work, conditioning, etc.

 

The thought process for this current summer (2024) was to create a way to integrate the OHM into sections three and four to achieve the following goals:

1. 1. Increase tissue temperature.

 

1. 1. Prepare joints and tissue for higher velocity or heavier loading to come later in the session.

 

1. 1. Prime the nervous system.

 

1. 1. Prepare the body through full range of motion movement.

 

1. 1. Improve movement mechanics and pattern them.

 

The most effective and efficient way to incorporate the OHM into a team session was to set up a circuit where the OHM became a station. Knowing that I wanted to use the OHM, I also decided to implement additional movements with equipment that we would not be able to normally use with a full group. These changes also created novelty within our training, which helped engagement, enhanced communication between team members as they had to help each other flow through the circuit, and reinforce details of each movement (grip, tempo, stance, etc.)

The circuit that we performed on our first lower body day of the week (linear emphasis) was:

• A1. OHM Forward March @ 0.5 MPH x2 (5 yds)

 

• A2. Dead Hang x30 sec

 

• A3. Toe Pro Bent Knee Calf Raise x12

 

• A4. BB OH Squat x5

 

• A5. Band Belly Push x15 sec each

 

A6. KB 90-90 Pullover x5

Video 2. Forward March at 0.5 mph.


Video 3. Forward facing view of forward march at 0.5 mph.

Once everyone performed those movements, they performed two reps of OHM Sprints at four mph and then six mph for five yards each. The rotations between individuals went quicker due to the shorter nature of each sprint.

Video 4. The Goal here is to create as much force moving at four mph.

Video 5. As velocity increases, take note of the postures that have been attained from the previous, slower-patterned reps.

After this “warm-up” was completed, everyone did the following acceleration work, which we would typically do even if we didn’t implement this change.

• Pushup Starts x 5 yds each leg
• Split Squat Starts x 5 yds each leg
• Ball Drops – stagger start x 5 yds each
• Flying 10’s – x 2

Adding the circuit took the place of our traditional continuous warm-up and allowed me to remove the first couple drills of our linear speed session, which was to pattern pushes and reinforce ground contact under an athlete’s center of mass. Performing the marches and sprints on the OHM allowed the athletes to feel the positions and patterns themselves, which they were then able to incorporate into the following sprint work.

The circuit that we performed on our second lower body day of the week (lateral emphasis) was:

• A1. OHM Lateral Push @ 1 mph x1 each (5 yds)

 

• A2. 90-90 Supine Pilates Ring Squeeze x8x2 sec

 

• A3. Toe Pro Bent Knee Calf Raise x12

 

A4. 1 Leg KB SLDL x8 each

Video 6. Moving at one mph teaches athletes how to recover their footing under their center of mass.

Video 7. The movements that we prescribed are all movements our athletes have performed in the past.

Once everyone performed one round, they then did lateral shuffles at four and six mph for one rep each direction for five yards.

Video 8. Lateral Push at four mph.

Video 9. Lateral Push at six mph.

The second circuit we performed that day was to work on the crossover pattern:

• B1. OHM Crossover Step @ 1mph x1 each (5 yds)

 

• B2. Dead Hang x30 sec

 

• B3. Band Belly Push x15 sec each

 

B4. KB Goblet Poliquin Step Down x8 each

Video 10. Crossover Step at one mph.

Video 11. Here is a look at how things are moving around the room and organized.


Video 12. The circuit is set up relatively close to each other to maximize space.

Once the athletes all performed one round, they then did crossover runs at four mph and six mph for one rep each direction covering five yards.

Video 13. Crossover Push at four mph. Our athletes note how they enjoy the ability to lean and create similar angles they would on the ice and push with higher levels of force.

Video 14. Crossover Push at six mph. Take note of foot placement as speed increases.

Just as on day one, these circuits replaced our traditional, continuous warm-up and lateral patterning/movement drills to help our athletes understand how to move laterally more efficiently.

We did not take any objective measurements to see how impactful this change was to our sessions, but the subjective feedback was powerful.

Every single athlete that performed this new circuit said they felt like they could push harder and longer on their sprints and jumps. I attribute this to the isokinetic technology of the OHM, says @bpatel515. Share on X

Athletes said they felt, warmer, more engaged, looser, lighter, and more powerful when we moved on to plyometrics and their strength work that followed. Every single athlete that performed this new circuit said they felt like they could push harder and longer on their sprints and jumps. I attribute this to the isokinetic technology of the OHM, because no matter how much force an athlete creates, the speed of the machine limits the velocity they can reach. This means that if an athlete tries to create maximal amounts of force, the OHM increases the resistance so that the athlete will not be able to move faster than the programmed speed. The athlete was forced to learn how to push through their entire range of motion and apply force in the ideal biomechanical position without having to be told or taught what to do.

They were able to feel it themselves.

When an athlete is able to feel it themselves, it enhances their learning and ultimately their self-awareness of their body positions and movements. This experience is invaluable in the athletic development process.

I often tell those that I work with, “If you cannot sense and feel, you cannot control and change.” A responsibility of a coach is to help our athletes develop their own self-awareness; to help them understand and become aware of their thoughts, their breath, their minds, their emotions, and their bodies. Once an athlete learns how to sense and feel those components, they can ultimately control and change them to impact their sense of well-being and performance.

I often tell those that I work with, ‘If you cannot sense and feel, you cannot control and change,’ says @bpatel515. Share on X

Moving Forward

Training a full team together often creates many logistical challenges. A coach may have an elaborate, well-thought-out plan that may not be able to work within a session’s given constraints. It’s important for coaches to have secondary plans and protocols that may be able to be used in different situations.

This change in warm-up/movement session is not something that we could use efficiently with a large team (12+ athletes), but provides a nice template if we were to add additional units in the future and when athletes come in to perform extra work in a small group. I will be putting together different “warm-up modules” that integrate movement patterning, strength development, and range of motion—while increasing tissue temperature—that can be performed in a variety of situations to help our athletes continue to improve.

OHM technology is a game changer and is the number one piece of equipment I will look to see how we can incorporate into any new facility, says @bpatel515. Share on X

No matter the environment you work within as a coach, it’s important to have plans that are flexible, adaptable, and modifiable. As new technologies and equipment come to market and we learn how those tools can positively impact movement, it’s important to be flexible in our thought process to understand how we can introduce it for our athletes’ benefit.

OHM technology is a game changer and is the number one piece of equipment I will look to see how we can incorporate into any new facility.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve heard—and continue to hear—about strength and conditioning coaches struggling with sport coaching staffs or battling through conflicts with medical staffs. Often, these struggles lead to a strength and conditioning coach finding themselves out of a job.

I always come back to the idea that, as strength and conditioning coaches, we are often our own worst enemies. Why is that? Because too often we look and act like meatheads, and when we do, we scare the coaches, trainers, and physical therapists we are supposed to be collaborating with. Am I stereotyping? Maybe—but, most stereotypes tend to originate from some element of truth. Physical therapists or athletic trainers who do not trust their strength coach will often say things like “upper body only” because they are worried about what the strength coach might do. A simple question like, “Can we work on the good leg” usually draws an affirmative response and gets you on your way. A follow up question, like, “Can they ride the bike,” often draws a similar response. Suddenly “upper body only” becomes a ¾ body workout that can safely finish with some conditioning.

I always come back to the idea that, as strength and conditioning coaches, we are often our own worst enemies. Why is that? Because too often we look and act like meatheads..., says @mboyle1959. Share on X

With sport coaches, the conflict is often different, but in many ways rooted in the same issues. The young strength coach often comes from a football or powerlifting background and suddenly every athlete is a powerlifter (or a bodybuilder). This leads to the “they don’t understand our sport” conflict.

In Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephan Covey talks about “seeking first to understand, then to be understood.” If you want to be involved in the process, seek first to understand. We refer to this as learning to speak coach. Do you truly understand the sport? Do you understand the injury of the athlete in front of you? Have you studied the anatomy and energetics of the game or the athlete in question? Have you done some extra reading? If a player has had surgery, do you understand the procedure? If it’s a sport you are unfamiliar with, are you talking to the coaching staff and attending practices and games? Can you ask intelligent questions? Do you engage your sport coach, athletic trainer, physical therapist, and team docs in conversation when the opportunity arises?

First, Understand: Some Suggestions

For team sports, study the sport you are working with. Who are the best players? What makes them the best? Skill is obviously number one in most team sports (and is less trainable), but speed and power are often what separate the best from the pack. Speed and power are both more trainable than skill and should receive lots of attention.

In injury situations, attend as many medical evaluations and physical therapy sessions as you can. From the start of my career at Boston University, I tried to be in our weekly injury clinic (where our doctors would look at our injured players). Initially, I kept my mouth shut and took notes. I had an athletic training background, so I felt somewhat comfortable in these settings. One lesson I learned: Save your questions until the athlete is out of the room. Never make it appear that you are undermining the doctor, physical therapist, or athletic trainer. I learned a ton in these sessions. What I learned early on was that there’s a lot I didn’t know. One question I began to ask was, “What could I do in the weightroom that could screw this process up?” I also began to ask specifically, “What can we safely do?”

Any time your PT or AT is doing an evaluation, ask to watch. Bring a notepad or take notes on your phone. If you hear terminology you don’t understand, research it. Prepare to come back the next time with intelligent questions. Ask, “What should I be reading?” Most trainers and PTs will be happy to point you in the right direction.

Watch the best. If you’re working with ice hockey, watch NHL games. If you work with lacrosse, watch the PLL and AuPro leagues. If you train soccer players, watch the Premier League. Become familiar with names, terms, etc.

Reading suggestions? Every strength coach should read Stuart McGill’s Back Mechanic and Shirley Sahrmann’s Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes. I also learned a lot from Porterfield and DeRosa’s Mechanical Low Back Pain.

Also, every strength and conditioning coach should own Kendall and Kendall’s Muscles: Testing and Function and Trail Guide to the Human Body. Become an injury expert if you want to be treated like one.

Attend seminars outside of strength and conditioning. I love rehab seminars. I probably love them more than strength and conditioning seminars, says @mboyle1959. Share on X

In addition, attend seminars outside of strength and conditioning. I love rehab seminars. I probably love them more than strength and conditioning seminars. My early days with the Boston Bruins led me to Gary Gray’s “When the Foot Hits the Ground” course, and in the process, my entire career changed. I became a rehab expert simply because I was not afraid to get out of my comfort zone, grab a front row seat, and learn. I think I’ve been to Kevin Wilk’s “Knee and Shoulder Course” at least three times. I try to go every five or so years to see how surgery and rehab are changing. I’ve sat in the front row of Stuart McGill talks probably a dozen times.

Last suggestion: Don’t be an internet parrot. Don’t repeat the opinions of internet experts as facts. It’s fine to listen; it’s another thing entirely to assume that everything you read or hear is factual, and that goes double for the internet. If the person makes their money by being an internet expert, be wary. Guys like Kevin Wilk and Stuart McGill lecture in their spare time, not as their primary income source.

If you want a seat at the table, prepare like a professional. Dress like a professional, lift like a professional, and read like a professional, says @mboyle1959. Share on X

Figure out where the cutting edge is, and get there. You may only be there as an observer, but what you observe will change you.

If you want a seat at the table, prepare like a professional. Dress like a professional, lift like a professional, and read like a professional.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

The human performance industry has expanded rapidly, and this growth has precipitated an evolving versatility for S&C coaches and practitioners. Within just the last two decades, we’ve gone from timing gassers and hitting 1RM bench presses to sprinting on 1080s and having mobile, personal force plates.

Things are different.

These differences can primarily be attributed to the effects of technology and social platforms, which have benefited the human performance industry in many ways. To highlight a few: an expansion of work opportunities, increasingly sophisticated performance applications, and direct access to an abundance of resources to improve our knowledge and skillsets. These, among other benefits of today’s human performance model, have provided coaches and practitioners favors in abundance.

The Versatility of Strength and Conditioning

Historically, our work descriptions and applications seemed pretty clear—we help athletes improve physical performance, predominantly through lifting weights and running. And once again, today’s landscape suggests an entirely new reality for us, particularly those in the private sector. For an industry that has objectively been underpaid and overworked since its inception, we shouldn’t be resistant to these opportunities.

(Graphic provided via National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA))

This versatility of S&C can materialize in a variety of ways, and for me has been crafted somewhat uniquely over the years. Where the vast majority of S&C coaches fall under either the athlete performance or general population umbrellas, my job has invariably been focused on helping athletes and individuals recover from injury.

Between my time with Navy SEALs, to now working with professional athletes, I’ve learned that restorative strength training (RST) supported by impacting health and wellness factors is the most effective and sustainable way to recover from injury and manage chronic pain. In this article, I will be covering the philosophy, art, and science of return to play (RTP) for strength and conditioning coaches. These pillars will provide the underpinnings to the structure and applications of this RST approach.

I’ve learned that restorative strength training (RST) supported by impacting health and wellness factors is the most effective and sustainable way to recover from injury and manage chronic pain. Share on X

The Philosophy

The philosophies you hold are the bedrock from which your decisions are formed. Philosophies should be firmly believed but loosely held; in other words, I am always certain of what I am doing, until I’m not. Philosophies should be seen as emergent ideologies that are always open to revision.

The roots of our philosophies should invariably be driven by “how does this help the athlete perform?” The desire to lean towards personal biases or preferences can be strong. Commit yourself to an environment or process that continues to expose you to different ways of doing similar things. This is an effective way to challenge your philosophical views and belief system in an organic way. Our philosophies provide the landscape for our science to be developed; the unwritten rules that we intuitively adhere to:

• Nobody gets hurt on our time. This unequivocal priority speaks for itself, but no pain and no setbacks are always at the front of our focus for each athlete. Every input should be audited based on the potential risk versus the expected return. Make good decisions.
• Health is wealth. Restoring injuries or rectifying chronic pain are invariably dependent on establishing proficient health (physical, mental, emotional) and wellness (sleep, stress, nutrition) practices. Any method, application, or protocol will fall short of fully restoring injuries without a robust health and wellness foundation.
• No treatment in isolation provides a complete solution. The human body is a dynamic matrix of complex systems. These systems provide specific, independent functions that collectively work in tandem to produce unified outcomes. No system works alone, and all systems are interrelated and dependent on another. When athletes sustain injury or have surgery, multiple or all major systems are—to some extent—compromised. It truly takes a tribe and their collaborative effort to provide a complete and effective return to play.

*No pain* and *no setbacks* are always at the front of our focus for each athlete. Every input should be audited based on the potential risk versus the expected return, says @danny_ruderock. Share on X

Video 1. Injury restoration fundamentally requires a multimodal or interdisciplinary approach.

• Every athlete is an n=1 case. Do not create expectations or comparisons for injured athletes. While utilizing normative data and standardized ranges can help guide the path, these should not be viewed blindly as mandatory prescriptions. Beyond the physical uniqueness of injuries, the psychological or emotional response will differ across athletes as well. Relying too heavily on what should be happening can become a significant detractor.
• Progress athletes based on achieving landmarks, not timelines (credit: ALTIS). These landmarks can (and should) vary across populations or times of the year, and depending on the specific circumstances, can be modified to better reflect appropriate goals for the athlete. The landmarks are then progressed accordingly throughout each corresponding phase of the RTP process.

Beyond the physical uniqueness of injuries, the psychological or emotional response will differ across athletes as well, says @danny_ruderock. Share on X

• Humanizing the athlete. RTP is a human-first process. Humanizing the athlete should be a central pillar to any training endeavor; however, as it applies here, injuries typically affect the athlete as much psychologically as they do physically. For this reason, we need to have particular emphasis on restoring that component. As it applies, athlete input is always encouraged, valued, and utilized. They are a part of the working dynamic, not just the subject.

Video 2. Humanizing the athlete is something that invariably applies, whether we are talking about a healthy athlete or an injured one.

• Integrate them into the same environment as the other athletes. Environment and atmosphere are fundamental to producing a positive outcome. Throughout the injury or post-surgical process, athletes are largely detached from their teammates. The last thing that injured athletes want is to be treated or reminded that they are injured. Take them out of the bubble wrap, integrate them with the other athletes, and allow them to work.
• Measure what matters and keep the goal the goal. This one may seem simple, but with our current crux of information and data overload, it can be easy to get lost in the chaos. My belief is that a blending of subjective and objective measures used in tandem provides a best-practice approach. The subjective evaluation guides the ship, the objective data confirms our route. Ultimately, the end goal is to get the athlete back on the field or court as efficiently and effectively as possible. That will be the empirical evaluation criteria.

The Art

The transaction of coaching is taking an athlete or individual who cannot do something and helping guide them towards being able to do that thing better and with some sense of autonomy. The art of coaching is largely derived from the ability to observe what’s occurring, understanding how that observation relates to the demands of their sport, and being able to make good decisions to bridge the two thereafter. With respect to our n=1 philosophy, we know that the same applications won’t be received the same in two separate occasions. Coaches must be perceptive to individual differences in personality types and learning styles as much as they are to deviations in physiological profiles and movement patterns.

Needless to say, art is intuitive. It is a feeling as much as it is a technical acumen, and only truly develops through firsthand experience. Quality decisions become validated through program adjustments and movement solutions can be justified through data collection. These nuances of coaching develop through a coach’s ability to be keenly aware and make timely decisions with good judgement, coming together in the ability to provide simple solutions to complex problems.

• The “coaches’ eye” may be the panacea for the art of coaching. At the forefront of this is our ability to observe and evaluate movement, which is the predecessor for intervention strategies. Beyond movement, the ability to sense behavioral differences, such as stress-emotional differences, are well within the frame of coach’s eye. Knowing how something should look is important, understanding how it relates and how the athlete receives the input is what becomes critical.
• Think in patterns, not in planes. One of the biggest shortcomings of contemporary S&C is observing and applying movement based on the “three cardinal planes” model. In lieu of this, I suggest seeing movement as being comprised of shapes (isolated positions, joint angles), patterns (how an athlete connects shapes in time and space), and signatures (unique and individual expressions of patterns). (Credit: ALTIS)

These nuances of coaching develop through a coach’s ability to be keenly aware & make timely decisions with good judgement, coming together in the ability to provide simple solutions to complex problems. Share on X

Video 3. This model is much more replicable to the movements and the actions that we’re going to be seeing in sport.

• Review and revise. Already a good practice for any coach, this is critical with injury cases to continuously and objectively audit programming. Take notes diligently. The injury process is highly variable and sometimes chaotic. While the end goals and targets may be mostly static, the route to get there is anything but. For this reason, I review daily training notes (training response, athlete input), and then perform weekly audits (total training load, video review, force plate diagnostics).
• Routine and transparent communication. This is vital for any successful training outcome, but should be viewed as non-negotiable for situations involving injury. The priority on communication can be bifurcated as having two primary avenues: coach-athlete and coach-coach/practitioner. Communication should be fluid and consistent, the less ‘obligatory’ dialogue, the better.
• Individualization is required for success when working with injured athletes. The specification for individual demands should be considered equally on the S&C and restorative endeavors. This can be achieved several ways, but a simple and effective strategy can be achieved through manipulating training parameters. Additional factors for individualization include the sequencing, timing, and frequencies of how the program is organized and delivered.
• Classifying athletes by archetype. Athlete movement and physical attributes exist on a broad spectrum, even within the same sport or position group. In line with our goal to be as individualized as we can, a starting strategy is to classify athletes through archetypes (i.e., force or fascial mover). This predominantly helps to determine the ‘big rock’ training parameters (i.e., volume, intensity, velocity, and density).

• Movement literacy and athlete autonomy are central to the ethos of restorative training. In order to learn or reacquire movement, the athlete first must be made aware of what’s been compromised or done incorrectly. Once aware, the athlete needs to be educated, or coached, on how they should be performing the task. As the athlete becomes proficient with the skill or task, they can then learn to become autonomous with it.

The Science

The intertwining and/or overlapping of rehabilitative applications and conventional team-based strength training can be a challenging compromise. The overarching goal when working with injured athletes is to keep them as relatively close to “standard” training as possible, without imposing risk. With this, the RST model is intended to abridge and align where the athlete is currently to where they ideally would be or need to be. Where the strength training provides the central adaptations we covet, the soft tissue therapy and supporting modalities collectively work to provide a transient optimal window to apply the stress. The two must be applied in tandem to optimize the RTP process.

The key distinction to RST is that every aspect of programming is designed in an individualized manner that specifically addresses what has been compromised from injury. This is in contrast to having athletes “just get back to training” following significant injuries, which can compromise the thoroughness of restoration. A continuation of care and prolonged individualization plan should be considered as the athlete reintegrates to training. See this as a slow but steady process that is gradient along the way.

The key distinction to RST is that every aspect of programming is designed in an individualized manner that specifically addresses what has been compromised from injury, says @danny_ruderock. Share on X

• A diverse biological system requires a multimodal solution. To the best of your ability, within the setting you have, injury restoration must be met with a multifaceted approach. This multimodal structure should look first to address reducing pain levels, improving fluid dynamics, restoring sensorimotor acuity, and improving soft tissue quality. From there, musculotendinous strength, myofascial continuity, aerobic capacity and sport-specific conditioning become the forefront priority.
• Mechanical overload and velocity are what largely drive central adaptations. Both are required for complete injury restoration. A common misconception to RTP is that we need to be overly conservative with loading in fear of causing harm or reinjury. This also speaks to why (conventional) physical therapy has developed a subpar reputation. We need to recall that load is relative, not absolute. And throughout virtually all phases of RTP, we want to relatively load the athletes as much and best as we can.

Video 4. One of the most common misconceptions with injury restoration is that it needs to be “anti-load.”

• The macrostructure is developed from a four-phase model. This includes tolerance (phase 1), function (phase 2), capacity (phase 3), and complexity (phase 4). Full details of each phase are shown in the graphic below.

• The daily structure follows a basic block format which are governed by time blocks rather than prescribed sets. There is nothing exceptional to this structure, which follows a conventional movement prep, primary, secondary, and tertiary block schematic. What is a bit different is the time blocks, which are intended to create an autoregulatory application. This allows the volume of training to be determined by the present ability of the athlete, rather than a predetermined number of sets.
• Training is organized by primary fascial lines and grouped as either anterior-lateral or posterior-spiral focus days. The anterior-lateral days are subclassified as flexion-based days, where the posterior-spiral are extension-based. These are then conducted as either capacity, strength, dynamic, regen, or other specific training modes.

• Improving the athlete’s ability to tolerate variability, or expanding movement bandwidth, are also fundamental elements to the RTP model. While progressive overload is fundamental in this training approach, it does not provide a complete solution.
• Balance the contractile capacity and connective tissue resilience. Specified tissue adaptations can be broadly organized as either having a myotendinous emphasis (60-80% | >80%) or the myofascial structures (80-60% | <60%). This coincides with a delineation between emphasizing overload or pursuing variability. A heuristic I utilize here is looking to balance the contractile capacity and connective tissue resilience. Work the spectrum.
• Incorporating fascial-based training concepts provides value throughout all phases of the RTP model. Putting an emphasis on fascia, along with other connective tissues, is essential for complete restoration of injuries. Fascial-based training emphasizes a tight adherence to the principles outlined by the dynamic correspondence model.

Video 5. With fascial-based training, what we essentially mean by this is utilizing that premise of shapes, patterns, and signatures, we are trying to load the body and load the connective tissue specifically in as many ways as we can. 

• Dynamic correspondence, originally developed by Yuri Verkhoshansky, states that there are five central criteria to training: amplitude and direction of movement, accentuated regions of force, dynamics of effort, the rate and timing of force production, and the regimen of muscular work. While these principles were designed for the sake of performance, they are equally actionable for RTP athletes as well.
• Programming should frequently utilize time under tension training parameters. This can be achieved a myriad of ways, but generally involves isolating and accentuating phases of movement to provide a progressive stimulus in training. An abundance of research has been published over the years demonstrating the benefits of time under tension for soft tissue structures (tendons, ligaments, fascia).

Closing

Relatively speaking, the human performance industry is still well within its infancy phase. Although we have found a handful of concrete roles and applications of our work, I think it’s fair to suggest we are still probably just at the frontier of where this is all leading.

The expansion of S&C is critical for both the value we can provide to athletes, along with diversifying the financial aptitude of the contemporary strength coach (revenue potential). Strength coaches can not only provide a critical component of the RTP model, but can also provide coaches with specialty skillset that can add tremendous value to their work and income. This can be achieved many ways through many avenues; injury restoration was simply what came to me.

Note: Stay tuned for our new project that will provide with an exclusive insight to RTP case studies, with modules featured on SimpliFaster and running throughout the remainder of 2024.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

Being in-season is, literally, what we all train for. The early mornings, the heavy squats, and the sweaty shirts are all needed to finally let the hard work pay off under the game day lights. Training has now shifted from the previous focus of grinding and building to maintaining and maybe even peaking. However, the foot is still down on the training gas pedal, but the workouts start to look and feel a little different. The priority is to keep the main thing the main thing in-season: being as physically and mentally ready as possible for games.

As training goals shift away from training itself, the amount of time dedicated to training usually shifts as well. This past year in the off-season, I was given 30 minutes three times a week to do “speed school” with my athletes (which just meant warm-up and speed training). Once the season started, I only had 10 minutes during practice and 15 minutes on game days for the warm-up and speed training—if I could fit it in. This isn’t right or wrong; it just is what it is and reflects the training priorities of being in-season.

Athletes’ speed in-season is important because speed has the shortest training residual of all the training adaptations. For example, speed has a 5 ± 3 day “use it or lose it” timeline (basically a week) whereas strength has a 30 ± 5 day timelines (basically a month) (Issurin, 2008). This means at least once a week you need to hit 95+% of your fastest sprint speed to stimulate and maintain it, and maybe even make speed gains. Yes, it’d be fair to assume that athletes could potentially hit that speed threshold during games. But is the total of reps needed for speed maintenance—probably around two to four—achieved during a normal game? And do all players on the field reach that? What about the bench players? If games aren’t a great source of speed stimuli, especially for all the players, it can also be a challenge when a majority of in-season training/practices are focused on refining sport-specific skills and simply just bouncing back (recovering) for game day.

But there’s good news: speed work in-season is relatively easy to get done with a sound understanding of speed training principles and a little bit of creativity. The question becomes: how do we train efficiently and effectively to at least maintain our speed gains while prioritizing practices and games and also keeping athlete-readiness as high as possible? First, we must understand both the foundations of in-season training and the main principles of speed training itself; then, we can dive into the different types of speed to work on and how to creatively do it in-season.

Video 1. A compilation of some of the exercises performed on game day based on the speed training theme of the day.

Core Principles

In-season training can be summarized in a simple, three-word phrase: stimulate, not annihilate. “The hay is in the barn” is a cliche that summarizes this pretty well; for the previous months of the off-season and pre-season, the athletes have been grinding, breaking down their bodies, and building a good foundation to now show everything off in competition. How do we “stimulate” those skills and adaptations from all the prior training to keep them sharp and maintain them, as opposed to “annihilating” them like we did in the off-season? The answer is chasing intensity (speed), not volume (number of reps).

In-season training can be summarized in a simple, three-word phrase: stimulate, not annihilate, says @CoachBigToe. Share on X

And next, if we know what counts as stimulation for an athlete’s speed, then we can effectively stimulate it. As mentioned earlier, Charlie Francis’ 95% threshold still applies (this isn’t the only topic I write about, I swear…). This simply means that an athlete must sprint at 95% or faster of their top speed to count as a “high intensity” rep that stimulates their speed. For example, if an athlete’s best speed during a Flying 10 Yard sprint (training top speed) is 20mph, they must sprint 19mph or faster to stimulate it.

Additionally, the principles of being well rested enough (one minute rest of every 10 yards sprinted hard) and everything else that goes into good speed training still applies.

Types of Speed and Application

We know that we have to sprint as fast as possible and do so at least once a week. But what specifically do we apply that to? Is it good enough just to sprint and walk back? Unfortunately, no. I break my in-season speed training into four main buckets:

1. Short acceleration
2. Long acceleration
3. Top speed
4. Change of direction/agility/deceleration

I know that might seem like a lot, but with examples it’ll make a lot more sense.

In trying to be as efficient and effective as possible, I was able to stimulate all these types of speed, getting two-four reps a day across four different 15-minute warm-ups in-season, including on game days. The general outline per day was as follows:

• Six minutes of general preparation, dynamic stretching, etc.
• Three minutes of “personal stretch,” so the athletes had a chance to specifically warm-up whatever they needed that day.
• Six minutes of speed drills (both for mechanics and for output), depending on the speed-theme of the day.

In-Season Example

In theory, this all makes sense (at least I hope it does). But what does it look like in real life? Let’s take you through what I did in-season with a Power 5 college baseball team.

Time is always going to be a prized resource in the sports world, but especially in-season. So, what’s a chunk of time you’ll always get with your athletes, no matter what? The warm-up. The warm-up is a simple, consistent piece of training you can use to microdose your speed training in-season.

The warm-up is a simple, consistent piece of training you can use to microdose your speed training in-season, says @CoachBigToe. Share on X

Below is an example of the four-day warm-up template I used with my baseball athletes:

All Four Days: Begin with General Dynamic Warm-Up

The first nine minutes of my warm-up remain largely the same. I think with such a varied back-half of the warm-up, it’s valuable to give the athletes some consistency for their bodies and their minds on game-day.

• General dynamic stretching: jogging, backpedaling, walking quad stretch, alternating side lunges, walking lunges, shuffling with big arms, etc. Ending with some sort of low intensity plyometric-like ankle jumps. Just general things to raise the body temperature and heart rate and address some of the big muscles/movement patterns.
• Three-minute personal stretch: this is exactly what it sounds like and this is how I describe it—”You have three minutes to do what you have to do, drills/exercises/muscles that we haven’t addressed yet that you like, to get your mind and body right for the rest of the warm-up.” Some athletes do static stretching, some do more dynamic stretching, some do specific “prehab” exercises the athletic trainer or a coach back home gave them. This is also a great opportunity as a coach to check-in with the athletes.

Once those three minutes are up, we move on to the fun stuff.

Day 1: Friday Game: Acceleration

• Drills: A-series
  • Examples: A-Skipping, Double A-Switches, Triple A-Switches, 3-Hop A-Switches, Building A-Run, etc.
• Integration: Blending the drills to all out sprints
  • Examples: A-Run to Sprint, Skip-Skip-Sprint
• Output: Push-Up Start Races, 10 yards, two-three reps

Video 2. A few of the drills referenced for Day 1, short acceleration focus, including Building A-Run to Sprint and a few Push-Up Start variations.

Day 2: Saturday Game: Top Speed

• Drills: Dribbles Series
  • Example: Ankle Dribbles, Shin dribbles, Knee dribbles
• Integration: Dribble Bleed Out to Sprint
• Output: Build-Up Fly 10’s
• Example: three reps at 90% effort, 95% effort, and “+95%” effort of the player’s choice (basically 95-100%, whatever they’re feeling)

Video 3. A few of the drills referenced for Day 2, top speed focus, including Ankle-Shin-Knee Dribble to Sprint (at least however fast I could get into in 10 yards for something that’s usually +20 yards).

Day 3: Sunday Game: Change of Direction

• Drills: A-series, coach reaction 1-steps
• Examples: Lateral 1-Steps, Shuffle and Return, Crossover and Return
• Integration: Skip-Skip-Run-Stop, Shuffle-Shuffle-Run-Stop
  • This also works as a great deceleration stimulus for the week
• Output: Shuffle Shuttles, two-three reps
  • Example: Crossover-shuffle out, crossover-shuffle back, run and stop 10 yards away

Video 4. A few of the drills referenced for Day 3, change of direction focus, including Change of Direction 1-Steps (Lateral and Crossover), deceleration drills (Skip-Skip and Shuffle-Shuffle-Run-Stop), and an example of a Shuffle Shuttle.

Day 4: Tuesday/Mid-Week Game: Long Acceleration

• Drills: A-Series, Lateral A-Series
• Integration: Bounding, Bound to Sprint
• Output: 20 yard races (vary starts), two reps

Video 5. A few of the drills referenced for Day 4, long acceleration focus, including the Lateral A-Series (Lateral A-Skip) and Bound to Sprint.

Bonus: Deceleration

Deceleration doesn’t need its own dedicated day, in my opinion. It’s the most soreness-inducing because of how fast the legs are eccentrically working to slow the athlete down. But on the flip side, it’s great to really draw out some intensity from the athletes’ muscles. I try to throw in two deceleration stimuli about twice a week. This can be in a “run-stop” drill like during the integration, or you can make a 10- or 20-yard race end with “stop on the line.”

There are plenty of really smart people, like Damien Harper, who can explain the value of deceleration. Just remember that if we’re going to hit high speeds, we need good brakes—and fast deceleration is a very high and unique amount of force put on the athletes. Short and sweet, don’t forget a few simple deceleration reps per week.

Considerations

There’s one big consideration that’s worth mentioning… How do I know my athletes are hitting +95% of their best speed? It’s simple: I don’t. Without sprinting through timing lasers to objectively know if my athletes are or are not running fast enough, it’s merely a guess. The main premise of this article is assuming the athletes are going as fast as they can when it comes time for the last two-four reps at the end of warm-up. However, I still believe this is a really good option with all things considered.

There’s one big consideration that’s worth mentioning… How do I know my athletes are hitting +95% of their best speed? It’s simple: I don’t, says @CoachBigToe. Share on X

All training is a trade-off. You must combine all the different variables of that day and make an efficient and effective game plan: time of year, time allotted to training, training goals, and other training the athlete has that day. Within all the factors on game day, only having 15 minutes, having to warm up the entire team, maybe being in a different city/state, and so on.

Here are a few things I can control to try to help my athletes sprint as fast as possible:

• My communication of intent. By explaining a little bit of the “why,” athletes understand their responsibilities and expectations to give their all in those last few reps.
• Rest times. Making my athletes walk back after a sprint, or a slow jog then I’ll give them 30 seconds of rest, I know their bodies are at least fresh enough to potentially sprint as fast as possible.
• Experience of the warm-up. Being intentional with the art of coaching and making the last few reps as engaging as possible. This is very simple: make it a race and call out the one or two winners. Works every time.

You might be concerned about athletes doing too much on game-day, as the game is obviously the priority. I totally understand and there’s an easy way around this. Let’s say you have four reps of 10-yard races for the end of the warm-up, you can say something like this “Starters (starting in the game that day), hop in the for first two reps, then just watch and be encouraging for the last two. Everyone else, four good races to finish, don’t lose.” The starters get their high-quality speed stimuli and the non-starters take advantage of the opportunity to get a good speed workout in.

Last, what about warming the athletes up for the other days of the week, like for practice? In this example, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday? Those days for me were only 10 minutes for the warm-up, so there are a few reasons why I kept those simple and didn’t toss in any speed-specific themes. First, the amount of time, obviously. Second, the game days would be considered “high-intensity” not only with the speed-specific warm-ups, but also the game itself. The athletes need “low-intensity” days to follow a traditional high-low training model. A high-low training model basically means alternating high- and low-intensity training days to allow for mini, built-in recovery days within a training week. Yes, I only control 10 minutes of the entire day on non-game-days, but I control what I can control.

Getting Results

Hopefully you now understand more about the foundations of speed training, what goes into an effective speed training session (even if it’s just a “warm-up”), and how you can be creative within the constraints of a given training session to maximize your time with your athletes.

This routine was very easy to execute and produced numerous insights in watching it play out through the course of a long and grueling 14-week season with 52 games. Although I didn’t have the opportunity to get my athletes in timing lasers during this time, we had no lower-body soft tissue injuries and received positive feedback from athletes. There was enough autonomy in effort that the starters could self-modify to give themselves what they needed, there were enough opportunities for the non-starters to feel like they still got really good work in and continue making progress despite not playing, and there was enough consistency that the athletes knew what to expect on each game-day so they were mentally prepared for it.

With these real-life examples, you should have plenty of ideas as to how you can apply this in your own setting. You and your athletes grind all off-season—maintaining (and maybe making more) gains in-season can be as simple as 10-15 minutes a day and some thoughtfulness behind your programming.

References

1. Issurin VB (2008) Block periodization versus traditional training theory: a review. J Sport Med Phys Fit. 8:65–75

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF